AT&T's U-verse HD Premium Tier explained: $5 for three channels

Ugh. This is just downright ugly. For the longest while, AT&T had quite the edge in the pricing department compared to most other HD programming competitors. For just $10 per month, users had access to over 40 high-def channels, but apparently, all that is about to change. Following a ominous postcard sent out to select California-area U-verse users, AT&T has confirmed on its website that the newfangled HD Premium Tier is real. And it's a ripoff. Beginning "soon," subscribers who wish to see Universal HD, MGM HD and / or Smithsonian HD will be forced to pay an additional $5 on top of the $10 HD access fee. We're not sure if this so-called Premium Tier will eventually host even more HD channels for the same low, low price of $5 per month, but until we find that it does, we'd recommend holding off. Seriously, AT&T? $5 per month for three channels?